Standardized Testing

DEBATE
RIGHT VS. RIGHT

By: Shelby Patten & Jessica Williams

Definition of Standardized Test:
A standardized test is any test that mandates all test takers
to answer the same questions in the same manner, and is
assessed by using a universal scoring method. The purpose
of a standardized test is to create a system that consistently
and accurately compares student performance on an
individual and group basis.
History of Standardized Testing
● 1838 Educators in the United States started to come up with the idea of
formally assessing student success through oral exams.
● 1840-1875 Schools began to transform from educating only the elite to
educating everyone, oral exams became less popular as written exams took
their place.
● Pre Civil War Era schools began to use required written exams to measure
student success in different subject areas to help make decisions for
administration and policies.
History of Standardized Tests (Cont.)
● 1900-1901 College Entrance Examination Board is created and the
first college entry tests are administered in nine different curricular
areas.
● World War I standardized testing is now a common practice: aptitude
tests are used to help assign jobs during the war.
● By 1918 over 100 standardized tests exist to measure student
progress in both elementary and secondary school subjects.
History of Standardized Tests (Cont.)

● 1925 a U.S. Bureau of Education Survey concludes that standardized tests

are becoming more commonly used to rank students.
● 2001 No Child Left Behind education reform expands state-mandated
standardized testing in order to measure school success.
● In the 21st century The PSAT, SAT and the ACT are the most common exams
students take before graduating from high school. Standardized testing is a
common practice for all students.
Right vs. Right Question:

Is it ethical to use standardized testing as a

means of determining student growth/success,
teacher effectiveness, and district achievement
in education?
“Right” Position in Support of Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is an inexpensive way to

objectively assess student achievement that
provides all teachers across the country a basis
for their curriculum, and prepares students for
real life situations.
“Right” Position Against Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is an unreliable means of

measuring student performance due to lack of
consideration for all aspects of teaching, takes
focus away from valuable classroom time, and
can be very costly.
Standardized Tests are ethical because they measure
student academic growth and success:

Standardized tests are a universal way to objectively measure

student achievement. They are ethical because they are
all-inclusive and do not discriminate against students with learning
disabilities, different ethnic backgrounds, or financial status. This
provides all students with equality. Standardized testing also
proves academic gain for students while supplying hard data for
their student success and offer a fair way to compare them to
students of the same grade level in a just way.
Standardized tests are not ethical because they do not
measure individualized growth/success:

(Criteria-Justice/equality--or lack of) All students learn differently and at various

rates. It is not fair to expect all students to prove academic gain from one test.
Some Students have considerations including disabilities, poor home
lives/poverty, poor attendance, and physical/mental challenges that can alter
learning and test performance results. Other students are simply poor test takers.
It is unethical to put students through this type of invaluable test. There are more
ethical ways to assess students including student portfolios.
Standardized test results are a good way to measure teacher
effectiveness:
Standardized tests are designed in a universal manner, in order to accurately
compare results from teacher to teacher. By administering standard exams to all
students, testing variation among teachers is not an issue and grading biases are
eliminated. This creates a fair, logical way to collect a large amount of data in
regards to student success and teacher effectiveness. Standardized tests are a
useful tool to hold teachers accountable for teaching their curriculum and provide
them with a focus for what they should emphasize in their lesson plans.
Standardized test results are not a good way to measure teacher effectiveness:

(Criteria-Logistics) Teachers have various student needs and challenges from year
to year so it is not fair nor logical to compare test results amongst teachers to
prove their effectiveness. Standardized tests do not measure a teacher’s
effectiveness in teaching “real life” skills such as work ethics, social skills, morals,
and organizational skills that students need in order to be successful. Teachers
are supported differently with curriculum and trainings from district to district so it
is not a realistic comparison. Class sizes also vary which can impact learning.
Teachers are forced to teach to the test and waste valuable class time to prepare
for an invaluable measurement of success. Student portfolios are a better way to
evaluate teacher effectiveness.
Standardized test results are a good way to measure District Achievement:

Standardized tests provide hard data that help determines if a district has
effective teachers that contribute to the successful education of their students.
Since all districts are administered the same exams, there is no room for variation
along different districts. This valuable information helps determine a district’s
success and allows it to be compared to other districts by leveling the playing
field. Additionally, the results from standardized tests can help determine if
different schools among districts need to emphasized more in certain subject
manners and helps minimize discrepancies and inconsistencies in curriculums.
Standardized test results are not a good way to measure District Achievement:

(Criteria-Value) Standardized tests are a waste of money that could be better

spent elsewhere. It is not ethical to compare district test results when the
populations and student needs vary so greatly. District achievement should be
measured in a way that values real life skills. There are many alternatives that can
be used to prove district achievement.
Common Myths of Standardized Testing
● Students’ knowledge and skills can be assessed by a sample of
content that makes up a 45-question test.
● Punishments or rewards to teachers or students based on test scores
motivate them to do better.
● A standardized test score is a better reflection of student learning any
any other form of assessment.
● If the stakes to a test are high enough, people will work harder and
improve their performance to meet the challenge.
Alternatives to Standardized Tests:
● Portfolios -- a collection of papers, projects, and assignments collected
throughout multiple years of school used as a tool to evaluate the students
efforts
● Surveys -- focus on emotional and social skills of students and have shown to
be more accurate at predicting college performance and GPA than
standardized tests (Gallop)
● Multiple Measures -- huge collection of data that takes into account
assessments, graduation rates, college and workplace success, etc.
● Inspections -- designed to view classroom time, interview
students and faculty, review important school data
Sources:
Kamenetz, A. (2015, January 06). What Schools Could Use Instead Of Standardized Tests. Retrieved September 19, 2017, from
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/01/06/371659141/what-schools-could-use-instead-of-standardized-tests

Kill the messenger: the war on standardized testing. (2004). Choice Reviews Online, 41(08). doi:10.5860/choice.41-4798
Layton, L. (2015, August 23). U.S. Schools are too Focused on Standardized Tests, Poll Says. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/us-schools-are-too-focused-on-standardized-tests-poll-finds/2015/08/22/4a954396-47b3-11e5-8e7d-9c033e6745d8
_story.html?utm_term=.52f3e9829466

Paulina Alcocer, NEA Education Policy and Practice Intern. (n.d.). History of Standardized Testing in the United States. Retrieved September 19, 2017, from
http://www.nea.org/home/66139.htm

ProCon.org. (2016, June 2). Background of the Issue. Retrieved from http://standardizedtests.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006521
[Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries.]

Scogin, S. C., Kruger, C. J., Jekkals, R. E., & Steinfeldt, C. (2017). Learning by Experience in a Standardized Testing Culture. Journal of Experiential Education,
40(1), 39-57. doi:10.1177/1053825916685737

Strauss, V. (2015, June 04). Five Things People Say About Standardized Tests and the Opt-out Movement that Aren’t True. Retrieved September 19, 2017, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/04/five-things-people-say-about-standardized-tests-and-the-opt-out-movement-that-arent-true/?utm
_term=.215fe3bef3ff

Tozer, S. (2013). School and society: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Warne, R. T., Yoon, M., & Price, C. J. (2014). Exploring the various interpretations of “test bias”. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 20(4), 570-582.
doi:10.1037/a0036503